It’s all the time a luxe expertise visiting Vantage Rooftop Lounge & Conservatory, the bar situated on the highest flooring of Resort Vandivort’s sister constructing, V2. You recognize you’ll be handled to a beautiful trendy tackle artwork deco vibes should you keep indoors. And should you go exterior, you’ll get to observe a sundown over Downtown Springfield. All of that, with tasty eats (like our favourite, shareable charcuterie) and seasonal drinks in hand.
Now, the bar has luxed-up its eating sport too by including a uncooked bar that includes a small however mighty menu of shellfish, all artfully ready, superbly served and delivered contemporary from the coasts all through the week. Their major deliveries arrive on Tuesday and Friday, so the restaurant has the freshest attainable seafood to begin the week and the weekend.
On a latest go to, every thing on the uncooked bar sounded delish, so I ordered a mixture and tried a couple of of the dishes. First up, the scallop ceviche. It was my favourite a part of the uncooked bar. The scallops, sliced into super-thin disks, had been contemporary and candy and buttery tender. And though I like the virtually overwhelmingly acidic punch of most ceviches I’ve tried, this one was considerably extra refined, permitting the flavors of the microgreens, cilantro and thinly sliced watermelon radish to face out and complement the scallops.
The perfect element, although (properly… in addition to the scallops), was the thinly sliced and spicy Fresno chili peppers. There have been solely a handful of them all through the dish, so most bites had been delicate. However every now and then I’d get a chunk with a little bit of pepper in it, and the hit of spice was a enjoyable addition that added a bit of selection and shock—however saved the dish good and vibrant.
My second favourite merchandise was the pickled cocktail shrimp. Massive, tender shrimp had been merely accented with some contemporary herbs and onions and served with house-made cocktail sauce. I cherished that each chunk felt contemporary and snappy—with a daring vinegar tang that simply brightened every thing up.
And naturally, what’s a uncooked bar meal with out oysters? The uncooked oysters listed below are served with lemon slices, sizzling sauce and selfmade cocktail sauce on the facet. My favourite strategy to eat them was with only a hefty squirt of lemon juice for a super-simple chunk. The oysters had been scrumptious and tasted just like the ocean in the very best approach—with none fishy funk. And that squirt of lemon (or punch of sizzling sauce if that’s extra your factor) simply provides a bit of brightness. So scrumptious.
The factor about all of those dishes was that the seafood was simply pretty. The scallops and shrimp had been each large, contemporary and expertly ready. They had been completely tender with that just-barely-sweet style that makes shellfish considered one of my very favourite meals. The entire shellfish I ate, the truth is, had that pretty clear taste that jogs my memory of lazy days on the coast. I might have eaten the scallops and shrimp with no different components in any respect, and they’d have been pleasant. However the truth is, each ingredient thoughtfully added to each these dishes enhanced the seafood completely.
Vantage has a handful of different small plates on the menu as properly, in case a uncooked bar isn’t your factor—just like the shareable Vantage Board with nuts, fruit and olives, or the pork rillette tartine on nation bread with pickled onions and herbs. Though I didn’t style the duck paté after I was at Vantage, our artwork crew received an opportunity to attempt it after they shot the dishes for this characteristic. It was universally raved about and a transparent favourite.
On my go to, Vantage was out of the snow crab legs served with umami butter. I used to be so dissatisfied! It was one of many objects I used to be most excited to attempt. However I assume this simply means I’m due for one more journey to Vantage to offer the crab legs and the ever-changing each day crudo a attempt. Truthfully, I can not wait.Â
